Giving Thanks
by Mako Headrush
Summary: Cloud is a cadet at ShinRa Academy, and has nowhere to go for the Thanksgiving holiday.   Reno finds himself in the same situation; as luck would have it, the Turk has been nursing a massive crush on the shy cadet.   One-shot, RenoxCloud, yaoi.


**Another Cloud/Reno one shot - eh, that's just me, I can't get enough of my favorite pair! Kind of a last minute one-shot. Completely hokey and sappy, just in time for Thanksgiving.**

**Warnings for this chapter: yaoi, citrus, some language. Pretty mild compared to some of my other stuff, no? XD**

**As always, the usual disclaimer - I do not own Final Fantasy (sadly), Square Enix has that honor.**

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It was Thanksgiving day in Midgar, and Reno was restlessly wandering the halls of the ShinRa military academy. Both ShinRa Headquarters and the Academy itself were bordering on vacant, save for a skeleton crew of maintenance workers. They, too, would be leaving soon, to head to their homes, and enjoy the holiday with their families.

_Family_. Reno turned the word over in his mind a few times, sighing when he realized the word no longer held much meaning for him. Reno had very little family growing up, and now, as an adult, he had none. His mama was the last family member he'd lost, not long after he himself had entered the Academy. After her death, he resolved to make her proud of him – he was sure she was still watching over him, somehow, somewhere. Reno steered his focus toward becoming a Turk, and despite his stubbornness and determination, actually was a bit surprised the day he got the call from Tseng, informing him that he had made the cut, and was now a Turk.

_That was three years ago_, Reno reflected. He still found himself surprised, and a bit grateful, at the turn his life had taken – a kid from the slums, who lived his entire life under the Plate. Nothing had been handed to Reno though, it was hard work that had gotten him into the ranks of the Turks so quickly.

Threading his hand through the wrist strap of his EMR, Reno ruminated on these thoughts, and was lost in them as he moseyed through the mess hall, expecting it to be a ghost town. He was therefore quite surprised to hear the movement of a chair scraping the tiled floor. Instinctively, Reno flattened his back against the wall, fingering the switch on his EMR, just in case he would need to utilize it. He narrowed his eyes, squinting toward the direction of the noise.

A shock of spiked blond hair came into view; there was a lone figure seated at a one of the tables, and recognition lit Reno's face, as he immediately realized who it was. _It's that cadet, Strife_, Reno recalled. _I'd recognize that hair anywhere, for one thing._ He holstered his EMR as he made his way over to where the cadet was seated.

Reno grinned as he realized just why he remembered this kid's name; Cloud Strife had been singled out amongst the other cadets in his class, as 'most promising', in terms of his swordsmanship. Zack Fair had actually taken the cadet under his wing, giving him extra training and sparring sessions, when he realized Cloud had a certain talent that needed to be cultivated.

Zack had decided soon after several such intense training sessions, that Cloud was ready to go on a recon mission. That was when Cloud's one weakness was discovered; his motion sickness. Zack and Cloud rode in the back up a military vehicle to their destination, but before they got there – the kid's motion sickness kicked in, and he lost his lunch – all over Zack. For some reason, Reno had taken great joy in the visual he got from this, when fellow Turk Rude had relayed the story to him. _Embarrassing for Strife, no doubt_, mused Reno_, but damn – I wish I had seen the look on Zack's face when the kid puked on him! _

He was still picturing this, and grinning as he approached the table where Cloud was sitting, all alone. On the table was half a loaf of sandwich bread, and a jar of peanut butter; clearly, this was Cloud's lunch, and it saddened Reno a bit to think that this was all the kid was going to have for Thanksgiving dinner, too. Even though Reno himself would likely be eating something similar for the holiday.

"Yo," Reno greeted Cloud, as he approached the table. "What are you doing here all by yourself?"

Cloud's head shot up suddenly, as he heard the Turk addressing him. "Um…sorry, I know I'm not supposed to be in here," he muttered apologetically, biting his bottom lip. "I just…don't have anywhere else to go for the holiday."

"Ah, I see," Reno replied sympathetically, pulling out a chair opposite Cloud. "Mind if I sit?"

Cloud gave Reno a half-smile. "Sure, go right ahead," he replied.

"So," Reno continued, "got no family to go home to then, huh?"

"No," Cloud replied, shaking his head. "It's not that. My mom – well, I've got my mom, and that's about it. I'm from Nibelheim," he explained. "It's…pretty far from here. I couldn't afford the airfare to get home, so here I am. Stuck in paradise." Cloud chuckled softly, shrugging his shoulders indifferently.

Cloud glanced up at Reno, almost shyly. "Are you…" he began, hesitatingly. "Are you…from the Turks? I think I've seen you before." Cloud knew he'd seen Reno somewhere at the academy - the flaming red ponytail stirred a bit of recognition in Cloud's memory.

"Oh, I'm sorry, yo," Reno said apologetically, smiling. "I thought everyone around here knew who I was! Name's Reno, and yes – I am a Turk." He extended his hand to Cloud, offering to shake hands. Cloud firmly grabbed Reno's hand, and shook it. Reno was slightly shocked by the sensation, when he and Cloud touched hands—the cadet's hand was as worn and calloused as a hardened warrior's; their condition belied the soft-looking, unblemished skin of Cloud's youthful face. It then registered with Reno, that this was the mark of a swordsman, the weathered and calloused hands.

Impulsively, Reno didn't let go of the hand, but turned it palm side up, inspecting it, causing Cloud to flinch slightly. _What is this guy up to? _Cloud wondered. "I hear you're pretty good with a sword, yo," Reno remarked, studying the calloused palm intently, locking eyes with Cloud, as he gazed up at him. Suddenly self-conscious, Cloud quickly averted his gaze. _It feels like he's looking right though me_, Cloud thought.

"Uh…yeah," Cloud stuttered, blushing. "I mean, I guess I am. People seem to think so, anyway," he muttered, feeling his face grow flushed. The Turk's sudden interest in him was making him feel a bit uncomfortable._ Why was Reno wasting his time talking to a lowly cadet, anyway? _Cloud wondered.

_Probably because I'm the only one here_, thought Cloud. _Wonder why he's here anyway, and not home with his family? Maybe I should ask…_

"Reno?" Cloud began questioningly. "I told you why I'm stuck here, how about you? Aren't you missing out on the holiday with your family? Please don't feel like you have to stay here and talk to me, I'll be all right by myself."

Letting go of Cloud's hand, Reno leaned back slightly in his chair, and sighed. "Don't have any family, Cloud," he explained, with a rueful smile. "I had my ma - kind of like you, right? She was all the family I had, for the longest time. But she...died a few years ago, after I started the academy." Reno looked down sadly, studying the backs of his hands. "I miss her."

Cloud felt a lump forming in his throat; he couldn't imagine a world without his own mother, and instantly sympathized with the Turk over his loss. "I'm really sorry, Reno," he said softly, feeling his eyes water slightly. He couldn't help it; Cloud was really missing his mother, and was dismayed that he'd be missing out on their usual Thanksgiving meal together. He was saving his gil so that he'd be able to make the trip home for the Christmas holidays, but that meant having to forego a trip home for the Thanksgiving holiday, as there was no way he'd be able to afford two airfares home within a month's time.

Reno was surprised at the cadet's reaction. _Kid looks like he's about to cry_, mused Reno. "Hey," he said firmly. "Don't be sad on my account, okay? I miss my mom, yeah, but...I know she's in a better place, now, you know? I _have _to believe that, anyway."

"Sorry," stammered Cloud, embarrassed. He sniffled and hastily wiped away a tear threatning to spill from his eye. "I just...started thinking about my mom, and how much I would miss her...if something happened..." Cloud explained, his voice faltering.

"Don't apologize, Cloud," Reno said, leaning forward, and impulsively grabbing Cloud's hand again, attempting to comfort him. "I understand, yo. I was close to my mom too...it sucks when you can't be with family on the holidays."

Cloud froze when he saw Reno's hand reach toward his. He found himself warming up to the Turk, but he also found himself feeling very nervous around him. _If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was hitting on me_, Cloud thought. _He can't be, though...he's a Turk, I'm only a cadet...he's just being nice to me because I miss my mom. Gods, I am acting like an idiot right now! _he scolded himself.

"I'm sorry to have taken up your time, Reno," Cloud said, apologizing. He was starting to feel foolish; nearly crying in front of a Turk, what kind of SOLDIER could Cloud ever hope to be, if he was whining over missing his mother?

"You know, you say 'sorry' an awful lot, Cloud," Reno observed dryly. "As for wasting my time - you're not. Like I told you, I don't have anywhere else to be."

"We're kind of pathetic, aren't we," Cloud chuckled. "But really...I'm only a cadet-"

"And you're wondering," interrupted Reno, "why a Turk would be wasting his time chatting up little old you, right?" Reno grinned, flashing his teeth at Cloud.

"Well," Cloud admitted, "um...pretty much."

"Maybe I just enjoy your company," Reno replied plainly. _Plus, I think you're kind of cute_, he thought. _You never even saw me watching you, during your drills with Fair. Maybe that's a good thing you didn't see me staring at you, like some sort of stalker..._

"But you don't even know me, not really," Cloud protested.

Reno laughed out loud. "Man, you make it really hard to be friends with you, ya know?" he observed. "Then again, I always enjoy a challenge," he continued, grinning cockily. "I don't have to know you to like you, you know."

"Huh?" Cloud muttered questioningly, obviously confused.

"Um...nothing," mumbled Reno, suddenly self-conscious. "I just meant...you seem like a nice guy, and I'd like to get to know you better. That's all."

"Oh," replied Cloud. _Okay...maybe he **is **hitting on me_, thought Cloud, smiling. _I think I'm okay with that. _Cloud was enjoying Reno's company, and his attentions; it really was quite flattering to Cloud, to think that the older man might even be remotely interested in him.

"Hey, um...Reno?" Cloud said, hesitantly. "Do you want to find some real food, grab a bite to eat? I'd offer you a sandwich, but...honestly, I'm really sick of eating peanut butter." He gazed up at the Turk, smiling, and awaiting his answer. _Did I just ask him out? Kind of? Oh gods..._

Reno suddenly brightened at the suggestion. "Hey, yeah!" he replied enthusiatically. "That sounds good, yo. Oh shit," he said suddenly. "Um...everything's closing, though. Or already closed. It'll be slim pickings, probably."

"Oh man," muttered Cloud. "I hadn't thought about that. Isn't that market on Loveless Avenue open until 2:00, though?"

"It might be," Reno replied slowly. "Why?"

"Well, I can cook something for us, maybe. I'm pretty good at it," Cloud declared confidently.

"That sounds fabulous, actually," Reno said, smiling. "But...where you gonna cook it, yo? Your dorm room?" he teased.

"Shit," muttered Cloud. "I forgot about that. All I have up there is a microwave and a hot plate."

"You know those are illegal to have in the dorms, right?" Reno teased, trying to sound authoritative. "Fire hazard."

"Oh, damn it!" muttered Cloud, running his hand through his blond spikes. "Please...don't tell anyone about that, Reno! Or I'll have to live on peanut butter and bread _forever_," he moaned.

Reno laughed. "Don't worry. I wouldn't do that to ya!" he said. "Well...I've got a stove at my apartment, you can cook there, if you really want to," Reno suggested, feeling his groin stir involuntarily, as he realized he was inviting Cloud, the guy he was _crushing _on, for Gaia's sake, back to his place. _I'm moving too fast,_ Reno warned himself. _Or am I? It's just a friendly dinner...right? Right, _he told himself.

Much to Reno's delight, Cloud responded enthusiastically to the idea. "That sounds great, Reno!" he said happily, beaming. "If...you're sure it wouldn't be too much trouble?"

"Nah, not at all, yo," the Turk replied easily. "Hell, I don't even use my stove. I, um...hope it works!" Reno said with a sheepish grin.

Cloud laughed, showing a flash of teeth, which made Reno's grin even wider. _Gods, he has a beautiful smile_, Reno thought absently. _He should smile more often..._

"So, we've got a plan, yeah?" Reno said, as he got up from his chair, and began to head toward the exit. "Why don't we head over to the market before they close up, yo?"

"Um, okay," said Cloud, suddenly worrying about how much gil he had in his wallet. _Probably should have checked that before suggesting this_, Cloud thought, chastising himself.

"What are you doing, Cloud?" Reno inquired, looking back at Cloud, who was rummaging through his wallet.

"I'm just checking...if I have enough..." Cloud stammered, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

Reno smiled easily, and walked back toward Cloud, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry about it, yo," Reno assured him. "I got it."

Cloud froze in his tracks, feeling mortified. "I can't let you do that, Reno!" he protested. "That's not fair, it was my idea in the first place!" He glanced up at the arm around him, feeling a bit nervous -yet excited - at Reno's increasing familiarity and proximity to him.

"You realize," Reno replied evenly, trying to reason with Cloud, "that you're going to be doing all the work in the kitchen, right? I'm not going to lift a finger to help you," he teased.

"Yeah, but-" Cloud began, trying to protest.

"No buts," Reno insisted. "Trust me - I'm getting off easy here, yo."

With that, they exited the vacant cafeteria, and Reno shut the lights off on his way out. _This might be the first Thanksgiving in years_, he mused, smiling, _that won't completely suck. _

_

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_

Medina's Market on Loveless Avenue proved to be nearly as vacant as the cafeteria had been, when Reno and Cloud arrived. They quickly made their way through the aisles; Cloud was ticking off needed items from his mental list, throwing produce into the shopping cart without even looking. This was a bad idea, as Reno was taking off with the cart without warning, riding it up and down the aisles as if he were joyriding. Cloud was initially irritated by this, but then relented, giggling, as he saw Reno cracking up with laughter as he nearly sideswiped a display of toilet paper.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry, Cloud!" Reno apologized, steering the cart back toward Cloud, as he noticed the cadet looking around helplessly, searching for the shopping cart, as he held a large turkey in his arms. "I, um...was just reliving my youth a little bit, yo," he said, grinning sheepishly.

Cloud smiled as he placed the bird in the shopping cart. "Reliving your youth, Reno?" he inquired. "By knocking over toilet paper?" Cloud said, chuckling.

"No, dude," Reno replied, smiling. "Listen. When I was a kid, we used to have cart wars. There's not much to play with in the slums, you know? So we'd steal shopping carts, get in them, and then you have someone push you into the other dude so you crash into each other. Gods, that was so much fucking fun!" Reno exclaimed, his eyes shining happily as he reminisced.

Cloud laughed. "You know, you have a really nice smile, Reno," he blurted, before his brain realized what he was saying. _Oh shit, Cloud_, he told himself, groaning inwardly. _Really slick. Way to play it cool with this guy..._

"Um...thank you, Cloud," Reno replied, blushing and feeling uncharacteristically shy all of a sudden. "It's funny," he said quietly, smiling at Cloud, "I was thinking the same thing about you earlier."

Now it was Cloud's turn to blush. "You, um...really think so?" he asked, shyly.

"Yeah," Reno replied quietly, as he steered the cart toward the checkout. "I really think so, Cloud." Cloud said nothing in reply, but stared at the ground, smiling, as he felt his face flush crimson.

"Um…I think we've got everything we need, Reno," Cloud remarked, peering into the shopping cart, and trying in vain to steer the topic of conversation away from himself.

Reno paid for their purchases, after a brief argument with Cloud over who would pay for what; Cloud was insistent on giving Reno what little gil he had in his wallet, while Reno steadfastly refused the offer, insisting that he was paying for everything. He relented a bit, when Cloud decided upon a last minute purchase of wine, which he insisted on paying for with his own funds. _Stubborn little bastard_, Reno thought, with a bemused grin. _He's about as stubborn as me, now that I think about it._

They made their way walking back toward Reno's apartment, which was located several blocks east of the market. Reno carried the bird and the wine, while Cloud struggled with the large bag of produce, cursing as several potatoes escaped from one of the bags, and hit the ground, rolling away from Cloud. Reno laughed at Cloud's frustration, and helped him gather the wayward vegetables, putting them back where they belonged. "Relax," Reno said, chuckling. "It's not like we're cooking dinner for Rufus ShinRa, yo," he teased.

Cloud laughed. "Well, it's a good thing, then. He'd probably have us shot if he saw me drop some of the food meant for his dinner, on the sidewalk," he joked.

"Nah," Reno drawled. "Probably he'd just torture us, then release us on our own recognizance."

"You…_are_ joking, right, Reno?" Cloud asked, giggling nervously.

"Duh, yeah!" laughed Reno. "Of course I'm kidding! Well, here we are, yo. Home sweet home." They had arrived in front of Reno's apartment building, and Reno brought out his key to unlock the main door. "I'm on the second floor, yo," he told Cloud as he held the door open for him.

"Okay," replied Cloud. "Lead the way." Cloud felt himself becoming increasingly nervous, knowing that he would soon be in Reno's apartment. Alone. With him. He shook his head, as if to dispel his nerves. _Just…breathe_, Cloud told himself. _And calm down. We're just two people who had nowhere else to go for Thanksgiving, just having a nice dinner together. That's all this is, nothing more._

Yet, a small part of Cloud _did_ hope there would be something more than just dinner, to come out of the evening. He wondered if Reno was harboring the same small hope.

Reno unlocked his apartment door, and swallowed nervously. His throat felt very tight and dry all of a sudden—he was feeling uncharacteristically nervous around Cloud, as he ushered him into his apartment. _Suddenly_, he thought, _this is starting to feel like…a date._

"Um," Reno murmured, as he led Cloud through the door, "the kitchen is over this way…obviously, the room with the stove and shit," he babbled nervously.

"Wow, it's nice in here," Cloud observed, as he looked around Reno's apartment. The place was spotless, to the point that it barely looked lived-in.

"Yeah, thanks man," Reno replied, placing shopping bags on the counter. "I'm not here much, if I was, it wouldn't be this clean," he chuckled. "Here, give me that one, yo," Reno told Cloud, grabbing the bag containing potatoes. "I can peel those, at least," he offered, grinning.

Cloud frowned. "I thought you weren't going to lift a finger to help me in the kitchen?" he demanded. "That's what you said before."

Raising an eyebrow curiously, Reno laughed. "Well, I meant I wasn't doing any of the actual _cooking_, Cloud," he explained. "I can handle peeling potatoes, yo. Are you some kind of control freak in the kitchen, or something?" he teased.

Relaxing a bit, Cloud grinned. "Something like that," he agreed. "My dad…he was an army cook, in the ShinRa army. I guess I got it from him…he's the one who taught me to cook. He was…very bossy in the kitchen. Like me, I suppose."

"Ah," Reno replied, rolling up his sleeves as he set out to peel potatoes. He dumped the entire bag of potatoes in a colander, while he hunted in the cutlery drawer for a paring knife. "So, you must be a pretty good cook, then, if your dad taught you everything. He in Nibelheim too, with your mom?" Reno asked absently, as he fished through the drawer. "Where the hell is that thing," he muttered.

"No," Cloud said quietly, "My dad was killed in Wutai…during the war."

Looking up, Reno glanced at Cloud, feeling guilty for having brought up the subject. "Oh man…I'm sorry, yo," Reno apologized. "I didn't know."

"It's okay, Reno," Cloud assured him. "How would you have known? I have…really good memories of my dad, though. I'm thankful for having those, at least."

"Yeah. Good memories…are priceless, yo," Reno agreed. "Oh shit, Cloud!" Reno exclaimed. "I don't…have a pan big enough for that turkey. I should have thought of that…earlier."

Smiling, Cloud rummaged in one of the bags. "I guess it's a good thing I got one of these, then!" he said, as he withdrew a foil roasting pan from the largest shopping bag.

"Nice," Reno commented, smiling. "You didn't forget anything, did you?"

"Well," Cloud admitted, "when you said you'd never used your stove...I kind of assumed that you didn't have anything to cook a turkey in..."

Reno laughed. "You know, you could have just asked me!" he exclaimed. "You're funny, Strife."

"Just call me Cloud," he said softly. He squeezed behind Reno in the small galley kitchen, as he moved toward the oven, intending to turn it on and preheat it. Instead, Cloud's left foot caught onto the back of Reno's, and he tripped, his arm flinging out and grabbing onto Reno so as not to lose his balance. Reno staggered back slightly, but caught Cloud just as he was falling into him.

Cloud gazed up at Reno, his heart thudding in his chest. _Surely he can hear that...or feel it,_ Cloud thought nervously. He suddenly realized that he was trapped in Reno's arms...and Reno wasn't letting go.

"Cloud?" Reno began questioningly, gazing into Cloud's eyes.

"Yeah?" Cloud answered, in a near whisper. _Kiss me, Reno...just...do it..._

"Cloud..." Reno stammered. "I want to...I mean, can I...?" _Just spit it out, Turk!_

"Yes," Cloud replied, boldly reaching his hands up to frame Reno's face, and pulled him down to kiss him softly on the lips, timidly at first. The Turk tightened his arms around Cloud, returning the kiss, groaning as he did so. "Oh...wow, Cloud," he whispered, pulling away, and staring down at him. "I've been wanting to do that for...a while now."

"For...how long?" Cloud asked, grinning, still trying to catch his breath.

"Since I saw you training with Fair a few months ago," Reno admitted. "You...kind of caught my eye, yo."

Cloud turned nearly as red as Reno's hair, which made the Turk laugh. "Don't be embarrassed!" he told Cloud, grinning. "I just think you're...you know...hot," he mumbled, starting to feel self-conscious himself.

"I...I've thought the same thing about you," Cloud squeaked. "I...kind of saw you watching me, when I was sparring with Zack, and I...well, I thought you were cute."

Reno's heart started thumping wildly. "Oh _no_, Cloud, you didn't see me there, did you?" he groaned. "I swear, I'm not some kind of perverted stalker-"

"It's okay, Reno," Cloud said, laughing. "Honestly, I didn't think you were there to watch _me_, I thought you were checking out Zack."

Reno scoffed at this. "Zack? Why the hell would I be looking at Zack Fair?" he asked Cloud, a bit incredulously.

Raising an eyebrow, Cloud replied, "Well, why wouldn't you? Zack's a good looking guy..."

Reno tightened his arms around Cloud. "Yeah, I suppose he is sort of good looking," Reno admitted. "But he's not _you_." The two kissed each other softly once more, before Cloud finally broke the kiss. "Um...I need to get this turkey into the oven..." he murmured.

"Oh yeah, go ahead, yo," said Reno. "I'll...finish up with these."

Cloud moved quickly about the kitchen, prepping the turkey and placing it in the oven, while Reno finished with his pile of potatoes. Cloud quickly prepared some side dishes, placing everything in the oven, then setting the kitchen timer. "Time to relax a bit while dinner cooks itself," he declared.

"Want some of this wine, Reno?" Cloud offered, grabbing the bottle of Riesling he had bought earlier.

"Hell yeah," Reno replied. "Let me find my corkscrew, yo."

"Um," Cloud said sheepishly, "It's a...screw cap. Don't need a corkscrew."

"Even better!" proclaimed Reno. "You know, I might even have actual wine glasses in here," he said, as he rummaged through his cabinets. "Ah, here they are." Reno produced two crystal wine flutes, and set them on the counter. Cloud poured some of the Riesling in each flute, and handed one over to Reno.

"Thanks. Um...happy Thanksgiving, Cloud," Reno said, smiling as he clinked his glass against Cloud's.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Reno," Cloud answered, grinning up at the redheaded Turk. _The best Thanksgiving yet. _

_

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_

**Aww. Um...that was a BIG giant ball o'sap, wasn't it? Not my usual, but...sorry...I get sentimental around the holidays. XD**

**HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my American readers...and to everyone else, I am thankful for all of YOU, for reading and reviewing my stories. It keeps me motivated and writing, so I really can't thank y'all enough! :)**

**Oh, and 'Medina's Market' - I was listening to "Funky Cold Medina" when writing that part, so...there you go. Not very original, I'm afraid. **


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